Which Madonna concert DVD to buy?
 

I was wondering if someone has both !Ciao Italia Live in Italy" and The Girlie Show Live From Down Under and can ell which one is best (audio and video quality, song lists etc)?

That's easy...
 

Without a doubt, buy THE GIRLIE SHOW dvd.
The audio and video IS SUPERIOR all the way around.
Do be aware however that THE GIRLIE SHOW is R-RATED
for adult content.

Re: That's easy...
 

That's due to the presence of the topless dancer. I went to high school with her. We all thought she was SO HOT, she played "Miss Universe" in our senior play. I was shocked to find out that was her; they made her so andogenous. I guess I should pick up the DVD for old time's sake, but I haven't gotten around to it yet.
I wonder if the new tour will be on DVD. Since the Detroit show will be on HBO (as The Girlie Show was), I bet it will eventually be released.

The easy answer is to get both, but if forced to choose just one, it'd be <B>Girlie</B>. It's a much more interesting theatrical performance, and the band made some of the songs sound better than ever. "Erotica", "Fever", "Vogue", "Justify My Love", "la Isla Bonita", and "Everybody" display their BEST-EVER renditions, and I adore the live version of "Bye Bye Baby" so much that it might well be my favorite Madonna performance of all-time.

<B>Italia</B> is generally entertaining as well, but it can't compete with <B>Girlie</B>. Note that in addition to the early topless scene, <B>Girlie</B> has additional adult content during the bridge between "Deeper and Deeper" and "Why's It So Hard"; there's a simulated orgy, with a little more breast-baring from some of Maddy's female dancers.

I've viewed <B>Italia</B> but not posted the review yet. It offers good but unspectacular picture and sound. As for <B>Girlie</B>, I thought its picture quality was similar to that of <B>Italia</B>, but the sound was stronger. Here's a link to that review:

http://www.dvdmg.com/girlieshow.html

BTW, if the "Drowned World" show doesn't make it to DVD, I'll eat a bug. I wouldn't be surprised to see it by the end of the year, but if not, it should be out some time in early 2002. Every Madonna concert hit LD, so I see no reason she wouldn't release new shows on DVD. Still waiting for "Blonde Ambition" and "Virgin Tour", though...

The Girlie Show is good...but I have MAJOR problems with the 5.1 remix that Warner did to it. The original mix was great..."original" meaning the mix that they did for the initial VHS/laserdisc. It had a punch that is completely missing from the DVD version. They added VERY little to the 5.1 mix. Most of what is there is audience. If anything they've ADDED more audience to the show which makes absolutely no sense to me. Why they didn't put BOTH mixes on there is beyond me. It doesn't help with MY enjoyment of the show. But yes...it is the better of the two out there.

Ciao Italia has always been screwed up. There's always been a slight delay in sync. Even on video. Part of this could have been because the show is actually two different concerts. There was a japanese version that was put onto laserdisc and video that was edited together with the original broadcast to make this video. So she may look different in different shots...and things just don't match up. Plus the mix is just regular surround. But at least they didn't screw up the mix like TGS.

Regarding the other two tours...there is no word on either. The Virgin Tour could just be repackaged like the WTG tour and shipped out. However, it would rock if they finally released the 3 songs that were cut from ANY of the releases of the video. I don't know why they were cut in the first place but it would be nice. As far as Blonde Ambition, i don't know who owns the rights to it. I know Warner released the Japanese concert in Japan but Pioneer sponsored the tour in exchange for rights to the laserdisc. It's never been released on VHS. Dunno if they still hold the rights or if Warner has it now...but we're all waiting. That concert is superior to any of her other tours including the current one IMHO.

I heard a rumor that the sneak preview show she did in London might be released with "tour highlights" but it's doubtful. It was a 30 min show and she only did 6 songs. But i guess it's possible...since it would be the only "tour" that she didn't put on video. We can hope.

Otherwise i've heard a November/December release date for a compilation of the Remix videos that have come out for various songs. They're great and deserve to be released.

That's the story.

Oh and *I* too am sure that the Drowned World tour will be made available on home video. I know it took a year for The Girlie Show to come out.

Thank you all for great replies. It was easy peasy to pick one of them now. Great review by the way.

Question for digitalfreaknyc
 

When you refer to the three songs that were cut are you referring to her Video compilations or her concerts? I always wondered why Justify My Love, Erotica, and Deeper and Deeper were missing from her video compilations. I could understand Justify and Erotica since they were releaseg singly on video but what about Deeper and Deeper? That song and video rocked! Maybe they will release them with her remixed videos. I'll keep my fingers crossed.

SS

Re: Question for digitalfreaknyc
 

No i'm actually referring to three songs that were cut from the Virgin Tour video. They were Burning Up, Borderline and Angel (I think) but don't quote me on that one. It might have been Over and Over. It's been forever since i've watched that concert.

As far as the videos missing from the video compilations...there are MANY...not just the ones that you mentioned. Off the top of my head, the others are Crazy For you, Live to Tell, You'll See, I'll Remember, This Used To Be My Playground, I Want You, Gambler, Everybody, Burning Up...etc. There were also longer versions released of Lucky Star and Express Yourself that weren't on the Immaculate Collection...which is in desperate need of a remaster.

Also, i haven't heard a thing about the Remix dvd in a while...but bootleg dvd's of all the concert videos and other videos are showing up on Ebay fetching ENORMOUS prices (up to $200). So if you've got the money...

Just to let everyone know that the Drowned World tour is scheduled to come to DVD on November 19 of this year.

:) :)

After the Springsteen show on HBO (16x9 HD & 5.1), I was extremely dissapointed with the Madonna concert. Full-frame (black bars left & right on the HD HBO station) and stereo sound. Add to that, the song that was on when I turned it on was being sung by Madonna on a video screen (aka- not live, but taped)- maybe the one where she was wearing Asian makeup? No thanks. Madonna more behind the times than Bruce? Guy ritchie couldn't have explained 16x9 HD & anamorphic dvd to follow to her? Oh well.

What's your source?

Have any more details?

Thanks,
Matt C.

Were you watching the same concert as I was? It was pretty obvious that 99% of it was live. Of course the video footage was taped; she wasn't even on the stage (i.e., clothing change) for the majority of the videos.

- Matt C.

"Of course the video footage was taped; she wasn't even on the stage (i.e., clothing change) for the majority of the videos"

How's that different from what I said? I just mean that for a live concert it's pretty lame to have any videotaped singing as part of the show. I might have watched a little more if it wasn't full-frame & stereo.

Is it even possible to brodcast live in 5.1? You can't fault a live show for having a stero soundtrack. I also haven't seen too many live broadcasts in anamorphic widescreen. It's not fair to compare this show's A/V quality to Springsteen's, which was shot over two or three shows on film and edited together over months.

BTW: Where's my Springteen Live DVD??? I'm waiting impatiently....

Amusing.

Maybe if you had watched it from the beginning...you would have seen the big "Dolby Surround" sign come on at the start.

And as for the rest of the show? You should actually sit down and watch an artist at work.

Watch one of the most famous women that ever lived still at the top of her game 20 years after starting out in the entertainment business.

That is an artist. And a star. And a phenomenon.

If it was DD surround, it was matrixed. My receiver only showed it as stereo, same as surround PS2 games. If it was 5.1 or true (3 channel) DD surround it would show up as such, as it does on my local HD stations & other HBO shows. I guess it's true that it would be hard to produce live sound in 5.1 (I forgot Bruce wasn't live), but the 16x9 HD isn't hard. They do it for live sporting events & soap operas (Y & R), which are practically shot live/unedited.

The show wasn't exactly live...all Drowned World shows have started at 8:30 or VERY shortly thereafter..within a few minutes.

Regardless...

I"m SURE the DVD will be in 5.1. As I said in a previous post, i'm PRAYING they dont' screw up the 5.1 mix with this one as they did with The Girlie Show. Or at least give us the choice of choosing regular surround as opposed to 5.1.

Given the alternative, I'll take the excellent video shown for "Paradise (Not For Me)". The alternative is to simply watch her dancers prance about while she changes. "P (NFM)" combined the two; she had the hunks of meat dangle from their hooks while the video played. I haven't seen the HBO show so I don't know how well this worked on TV, but it seemed fine to me during the concerts I attended live...

The first show in Atlanta on 8-19 started at 8:46 pm, however the 8-20 Atlanta show started at 9 pm. I don't think you can say the show wasn't live just because another show started earlier.

I thought that I heard she started the show earlier to spend more time with her father/family afterwards.

I didn't mind the video at all! If you were at the concert it just showed up on the big screen as she changed and her dancers did their thing. I think the problem was at home, the video was actually playing, albeit interspersed with shots of what was going on onstage. I really hope she releases it as a video single because that's one of my favorite songs. I just wish that she did a regular version of What it Feels Like For A Girl (the video, not the spanish version in the concert). All in all I thought it was a gret concert and I can't wait to purchase the DVD! But I do have one question... did the audio go out for about a second during the 2nd song? I hope they fix this on the DVD. Maybe they will include the P(NFM) video as an extra!

Nope. The Philly shows started earlier than that, at around 8:20, while the first DC show didn't begin until almost 10 due to weather delays. The Miami shows were closer to 8:45 as well...

For anyone interested, here's a link to the R2 announcement regarding Madonna's Drowned World Tour dvd release:

http://www.r2-dvd.org/article.jsp?se...articleId=2611

It's official:

Madonna's Drowned World Tour: Live from Michegan will be released on the same day as her GHV2 CD.

It will be on November 13, 2001 at a price of $24.99.

GHV2?

Nevermind. I found it. I guess it stands for Greatest Hits Vol. 2?